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My head felt a little flush and my stomach got a bit tight. I was nervous, but at the same time I felt calm and happy for my son. It was all so surreal as my son introduced us to our future daughter-in-law over face-time, a phone app, for the first time. What would you do?

We chose colors, wedding details, and worked to get to know each other as much as possible over the phone that summer. It’s been a year since then, and looking back, it was a wedding day of miracles, growing love and much joy.

Let me share our story with you- it’s quite remarkable.

Dallin decided to leave Utah to attend law school at Creighton in Nebraska. While he was there, he met Brooke.

They dated;

Got to know each other;

Became very good friends;

They found they were beginning to love one another, and so they nurtured it with healthy dating.

Continuously working hard to lay a solid foundation of respect, trust and honor as the base; knowing that would make it last- happily.

It was becoming apparent, that both wanted this relationship to be a bond that would last forever.

On a Sunday, as usual, Stan called to facetime Dallin. Well, Brooke happened to be sitting next to Dallin.

Stan, my handsome hubby, asked who the pretty gal was.

Well…. Dallin, who is more private in his social life than some of our other kids…kinda spilled the beans that he was seriously dating Brooke (very serious it turned out), and their love story for us began.

Luckily for us, WE ADORE HER!!! She is truly a blessing to our family and we couldn’t be happier to have her as a Groneman.

LET ME INTRODUCE YOU TO DALLIN AND BROOKE

Details of wedding and reception for bride and groom.

For me, it was an interesting experience because Brooke was working very hard to finish her schooling, preparing for the Bar Exam in Omaha. and working a part time job. So, as much as she wanted to be involved, she could only do so much!

Ok, a little mom-in-law brag here: Brooke has a Bachelors Degree in Phycology, an MBA, a Juris Doctorate(specializing in Patent Law), and currently finishing a Masters in Biology as I write this post.

Anyway, back to my story. During that time, Dallin had traveled to Colorado to clerk for a judge as part of his schooling.

Meanwhile, I’m back here in Utah figuring out the details for the wedding and reception, as they decided to have it in Utah, and her family would travel here to participate.

MY GIRLS SAVED MY SANITY

I am so blessed to have two daughters and 2 daughters-in-law, Brooke now joining the clan to make three. 🙂

Ohhhh SO much to do from arranging from what everyone would wear to decorating the reception center, to what to serve for refreshments, to countless other minor details. Needless to say, I was a bit overwhelmed, particularly not knowing Brooke well and wanting it to be ‘perfect’ for her.

My girls stepped in, and were angels!!!

For example, one particularly exhausting day, after running from store to store, we finally found blouses to match the skirts I had been made from discount cloth that I found at a local fabric store.

Tawni and Ashley stayed until the very last minute, so we went to grab a bite to eat. We visited, laughed, and it was so nice to just relax. They are so good to me.

Details of wedding and reception for bride and groom.

For the refreshments, I had a tight shoestring budget, but I also wanted it to be nice. Danitra, one of my daughter’s, crunched numbers continually. 🙂

We chased down donut trucks and other food trucks to try them out, to see if any of those would work— huge sacrifice I know—yummy:) (Isn’t my grand daughter adorable too!) I look back on that time with fondness. We always have such fun together.

Details of wedding and reception for bride and groom.

As a way to highlight Brookes colors, we settled on a sweet treat.We purchased the candy sticks at the Peppermint Place in American Fork. They have candy sticks in bulk in SO many colors and flavors! They really are the nicest people to work with too.

In American Fork at a candy store that is a dream of a kid – of any age – called The Peppermint Palace, they carry candy sticks in bulk in SO many colors and flavors! They really are the nicest people to work with too. And if you go during certain hours you can watch them decorate candy too!

Candy sticks were sweet additions to the centerpieces making it extra special.

Details of wedding and reception for bride and groom.

SHE CAME!

Brooke had been trying to find/make a wedding dress work for weeks back in Omaha. With her heavy work and school schedule it was very frustrating for me to watch her go through that so far away. That was one thing I couldn’t fix for her. We lucked out (actually a miracle happened), and she was able to fly here for 2 1/2 days and boy did I cram in everything!

On our way to the airport, Stan, Delsi and I stopped at the Draper (Utah) Cold Stone Ice Cream Store. These wonderful store owners are who we had chosen to cater Dallin and Brooke’s wedding reception after Danitra and I had looked at all the choices.

Cheryl and Seth were AMAZING, and I would recommend them to everyone for any occasion you have!

We were able to taste so many of the ice creams, if not all off of them! I mean they didn’t hold back, they were so kind and wanted to make sure we were happy with our choice. We narrowed it down to 10, including a choice for those who have special dietary needs too! You’ve got to come the Draper store folks! 801-706-5867.

Details of wedding and reception for bride and groom.

We packed the containers of flavors we chose in dry ice and drove to the airport to pick up Brooke.

However, as the three of us stood there waiting for her, we watched others with their signs waiting for friends and relatives to arrive and realized we hadn’t brought anything to distinguish us.

You get to taste the cake, choose your design and she is FABULOUS to work with! www.dessertedgecakes.com 801-485-0354. Tell her I sent you:) I wish I had a reason to just order a cake to eat it right now!!!

Details of wedding and reception for bride and groom.

I ABOUT KILLED HER IN THE DETAILS

The next day I was so excited to take Brooke to see the venue. I had made an appointment for us at This Is The Place and we arrived in the morning. What I didn’t realize is that Brooke hadn’t been to an elevation of 800 feet and we are at 5,500 feet. So after showing her around some of the park after seeing the reception building, I get a call from my son asking me why I was trying to kill his fiance. WHAT?

She was too shy to tell me, but she was getting physically ill from the high altitude….oooppss….lesson learned.

Details of wedding and reception for bride and groom.

The next day was dress shopping. We found her PERFECT dress at Petal’s & Promises Bridal in Logan 435-753-8022. She looked just radiant and it was YES to the dress.

Picking out flower arrangements and many other details were worked out also.

It worked out so perfectly that Dallin was able to drive over from Colorado to join us.

Our family had the best time ‘helping’ pick out the final six flavors of ice cream – yummy! All the siblings and grandkids sat around the table with spoons in hand as we tried each one of the flavors, some a few times, just to make sure we knew what it tasted like.

Details of wedding and reception for bride and groom.

THE BIG DAY ARRIVED

Dallin and Brooke chose to be married in the Salt Lake City LDS Temple.

Details of wedding and reception for bride and groom.

Brooke with her mom, family and maid of honor. We are SO grateful to have these wonderful people as a part of our family too!

Details of wedding and reception for bride and groom.

I want to give a side note here to all those who have parents involved, namely mom’s who are unable to go into the temple to be with their daughters for the ceremony. I found out, that day through miraculous events, that there is a special room at the Salt Lake Temple, in the visitor area on the south side. A room where guests wait for the wedding couple.

This dressing room has mirrors, and is really nice. And it CAN be used for brides to come to AFTER the ceremony, to get into her wedding dress, with the help of her mom, sisters, or whomever she would like to help her, so that they can also be apart of this very special occasion.

The bride can then go out the south doors, or can be taken to where her groom is waiting at the traditional area to exit out the west doors facing the temple usual. If you have this situation, call ahead and make arrangements for the comfort of all. It made our day delightful to do this, as I was able to be Brooke’s escort in the temple, and then I was able to leave her with her mom, grandma, twin sister and friends to change into her wedding dress. This made everyone feel as included as possible.

Details of wedding and reception for bride and groom.

The couple with me, Stan and my beautiful mother-in-law Meredith.

Details of wedding and reception for bride and groom.

WHAT’S A FIRST LOOK?

Brooke wanted the photographer Steve (amazing by the way) and works for James Erick Photography (801-678-6240) to do a ‘First Look’. Steve was terrific to do anything and everything he could for us and didn’t flinch at the curve ball I tossed at him. Steve took it in stride and made it happen. He was professional, patient, approachable and just nice the entire day and evening. We loved our pictures like these!

etails of wedding and reception for bride and groom.

Ok, sorry back to the wedding day.

Well, I hadn’t had a chance to explain the ‘First Look’ to Steve, but as I hinted he quickly put it together for us. Brooke came out one door, she was with her mom, sister and friends at the south door which was convenient. While Dallin had his back to her when he came out the traditional door. He had not seen her in her wedding dress, so this was the ‘First Time’ or ‘First Look’ – and his reaction was priceless.

etails of wedding and reception fr bride and groom.

After family pictures were taken, they had the usual one taken areound Temple Square as a couple…..

Details of wedding and reception for bride and groom.

Stan, our kids, a few others and I ran to the reception place to get things ready. We had chosen The Heritage Building at This Is The Place in Salt Lake City 801-582-1847 (you know how much I love that place if you follow my Instagram, lol).

THE RECEPTION

The Cold Stone Creamery Ice Cream Bar was a HIT! Ice cream of the guests choice, from the six flavors Dallin and Brooke chose – from the ten that we chose (remember they were out of state so we selflessly tasted all the scrumptious ice creams and picked the ten out for them) and they were even labeled with ‘Groom’s’ and ‘Bride’s’ Favorites for fun! They guest could have their ice cream in a delicious waffle bowl with a choice of four syrups such as chocolate, caramel, strawberry, etc. Then the toppings, and these aren’t all of them! It really was the best bargain AND we got to take the extra home!!!

Ice cream of the guests choice, from the six flavors Dallin and Brooke chose – from the ten that we chose (remember they were out of state so we sacrificed and tasted all the scrumptious ice creams and picked the ten for them) and they were even labeled with ‘Groom’s’ and ‘Bride’s’ Favorites for fun! The guest could have their ice cream served in a delicious waffle bowl with a choice of four syrups such as chocolate, caramel, strawberry, etc. Then the toppings, and these aren’t all of them! It really was the best bargain AND we got to take the extra home!!!

What did we do with the extra ice cream and waffle bowls? If you’ve read about our 2nd Sunday’s, it happened to be one that weekend, and you can read all about how that came together HERE

In Utah, it’s not unusual to have a traditional receiving line, which we did. This means the parent(s) of the bride and groom, sometimes siblings and special friends; along with newlyweds, greet guests who come to see them, as they stand in a line for a specific time during the reception. It’s a wonderful chance to thank those who took the time to come for their kindness, to spend a little time and share their special day.

Details of wedding and reception for bride and groom.

SHOW OFF:)

Stan collected pictures of Brooke and gathered many of Dallin’s to put in a slide show along with music for the guests to watch so they could get to know them a little bit better as they enjoyed the reception.

Details of wedding and reception for bride and groom.

KIDS ARE WELCOME

Receptions that have a traditional line, or a dinner, or whatever the case maybe, and involve toddlers or kids can be difficult because they become bored.

We wanted the kids to have something to do, so the parents were comfortable to stay, visit, relax. To enjoy their time with us, those they met there and each other.

I LOVE having my grand kids a part of anything possible!

Details of wedding and reception for bride and groom.

My daughter-in-law Ashley made all the grand daughter’s girls dresses. They were just adorable and as sweet as could be- Perfect for the day! She would love to make little girls dresses, and matching items for the boys for your special day.

We had wonderful gals who agreed to stay the length of the reception in the Kids Area so I didn’t need to worry about that at all. They were there to help them, get out the supplies, food and look after them as need, but the door STAYED OPEN and parents were gotten as children cried or needed anything.

We had a video showing:

Choose one that is very family friendly and that a wide age range would enjoy.

I LOVE these cups! They have lids, a way to mark the kids names on them and it’s easier to keep from spills which is IMPORTANT for those of us who cannot risk a slip or fall for injury! Check out these drinking cups for the kiddos HERE

Goldfish Crackers are always a hit with kids of any age. You can easily find them HERE

Annies Organic Fruit Snacks are a healthy treat to have on hand, they are HERE

And lastly for this activity it’s great to have colored pencils, especially if you have coloring pages for olders kids and even adults, I have a link HERE

Adjust for ages and you can have coloring pages for ages up through adult too:)

——————

Back to Dallin & Brooke

THE CAKE CUTTING

Always a fun part of the reception. I’ll let you guess if they made a mess…:)

Details of wedding and reception for bride and groom.

THE FLOWER TOSS *See more of the flowers below

Details of wedding and reception for bride and groom.

THE GARTER TOSS

Details of wedding and reception for bride and groom.

FIRST DANCE AS A COUPLE

Details of wedding and reception for bride and groom.

And now it’s time to leave for the honeymoon.

I would suggest one thing that I learned from that night.

I had purchased bubbles with HUGE ratings, ‘perfect’ 5-Star, all of that. Yet you can see here we are without any bubbles :/

May I recommend THISfor your event, in addition to the bottles of BUBBLES. It’s good to have THIS as a backup to add to the pageantry…. you know….to look marvelous for the pictures. THIS is what my grand kids love to play with and it really works! I definitely would have had it in addition to the BOTTLES OF BUBBLES , if I would have know about it. Better safe, then…well…without bubbles, lol.

Regardless of the failing bubbles, the couple looked amazing, and off they went to Italy!

Details of wedding and reception for bride and groom.

Stan and I can’t tell all the family and friends who helped in countless ways, how grateful we are for making Dallin and Brookes wedding remarkable. We appreciate all the kindnesses and generosity that were shown in large and small ways; it all made such a difference.

I apologize for the terrible quality of this picture, but it was that important that I share this with you.

At the venue, there was a HUGE fireplace with a ginormous mantle that would show in the pictures behind us. I needed to do something with it, and since we were decorating, it needed to be on a shoestring budget, but also very attractive and nice.

I started looking for ideas and came across Sam’s Club and that they sold roses in bulk – who knew? Right!

They were wonderful to work with and they delivered them on the exact day I needed them and they were GORGEOUS!!!!

Details of wedding and reception for bride and groom.

Pat worked her magic and made a stunning display to put on the mantle using all the roses I purchased. You can see how talented she is to incorporate inexpensive artificial greenery and flowers with the roses. It was perfect.

Details of wedding and reception for bride and groom.

After the reception, I had dozens and dozens of roses left over—-what to do with them all?

Actually, I had a plan all along.

See, I had been saving up bottles the few weeks prior to the reception as I emptied them when cooking. Mayo jars, pickle bottles, fun salad dressing bottles; all sorts of things. I soaked them and cleaned off the labels, having them ready for this event I knew was coming.

While cleaning up that night, I had everyone keep the longer ribbons attached to the square vases holding the candy sticks and other vases.

Arranging the roses, greenery, and ribbons it turned out like this.

Details of wedding and reception for bride and groom.

Can you guess what I did?

I took them to a local care center! They loved them and enjoyed them more than we ever could have.

If you have left over flowers, corsages, boutonniere’s or any decorations that would be appropriate to cheer someone else up with —PLEASE, don’t hesitate to drop them off. Or better yet, take the family, friends, or just you go on it say HELLO and make some’s day a little better.

LET’S BACK UP A LITTLE

The night before the wedding, Brookes family came into town and we were able to meet them and get together for a very casual dinner.

Derek and Tawni (my son and daughter-in-law) were so gracious to host this event at their home. They made everyone feel very welcome and comfortable.

Because they have a wood burning brick oven on their deck, they chose to make homemade pizzas. It was so delicious and really a nice evening. Stan and I are very grateful to Derek, Tawni and everyone who helped make that night so yummy and fun.

Details of wedding and reception for bride and groom.

COOKIN

Tawni, and her helper, were prepping in the kitchen – don’t worry, we didn’t leave it all up to those two, we helped too:) Tawni made several flavors of scrumptious pizzas.

Derek does a fantastic job baking up the works of art that Tawni makes, I mean they are AMAZING – we caught him taste testing.

Details of wedding and reception for bride and groom.

We brought salads and sides.

Details of wedding and reception for bride and groom.

And PIZZA is Served!

Details of wedding and reception for bride and groom.

I hope you have enjoyed this wedding post. Best wishes for many years of happiness and health to the happy couple.

Copyright Carrie Groneman, A Mother’s Shadow, 2017

Recognize a blessing and be a blessing today.

https://amothersshadow.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/wedding_rings_pin.jpg1102735Carrie Gronemanhttps://amothersshadow.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_67.pngCarrie Groneman2019-05-03 11:46:482019-05-05 15:50:50I Met My Daughter-In-Law To Be For The First Time Over The Phone

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About This Blog

A Mother’s Shadow offers a unique range of topics, because we are all in various stages of life; which changes continually. Here you will find valuable knowledge, skills and encouragement to build and maintain a solid foundation for your family and marriage. Also, tools for a happy life, as well as how to leave a legacy of honor and integrity for your posterity and all who will pass your way.